FC345: The New French Graphic Novel. Dr. Michael A. Johnson & Meredith Lehman (T.A.)

Transcription

1 FC345: The New French Graphic Novel Instructors: Dr. Michael A. Johnson & Meredith Lehman (T.A.) I. Course Description: Called the ninth art in France, the comic strip has been considered a culturally relevant art form much longer in France than in the US. However, it is only in the past two decades that the comic-strip medium has moved beyond erstwhile adolescent and traditionally escapist comic book genres (fantasy, adventure, sci-fi) to encompass more reality-oriented genres such as autobiography, documentary, historical fiction, and travelogue, and to also address such serious and pressing questions as France s colonial legacy, civil unrest in the French banlieu (suburban ghettos), immigration, and war. This course looks at works from the new wave of the French graphic novel with special emphasis on innovations with the comic strip medium. We will study a variety of works, themes, and graphic styles from the raw punk aesthetic of Julie Doucet s autobiographical New York Diary to the childlike expressionism of David B. s Epileptic, from Appollo s & Lewis Trondheim s faux-naif use of animal characters to reimagine France s colonial history to Didier Lefevre's and Emmanuel Guibert s experimentation with mixed-media in their stark testimony of war in Afghanistan. Our readings will be guided by a set of related questions: What is the expressive potential of the medium? What can the comic strip express that a painting, a novel or a film might not be able to? And which of these graphic works exploit most fully the expressive potential of the medium? This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-u.s. cultural group, past or present. II. Course Materials: Required David B., Epileptic (Pantheon, 2006) Julie Doucet, My New York Diary (Drawn & Quarterly, 2004) Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis (Pantheon, 2004) Jean-Pierre Stassen, Deogratias: a Tale of Rwanda (First Second, 2006) Appollo & Lewis Trondheim, Bourbon Island 1730 (First Second, 2008) Manu Larcenet, Ordinary Victories (ComicsLit, 2005) Marguerite Abouet, Aya (Drawn & Quarterly, 2007) Joann Sfar, The Rabbi s Cat (Pantheon, 2007) Guy Delisle, Burma Chronicles (Drawn & Quarterly, 2008) Emmanuel Guibert, The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders (First Second, 2009) Christophe Blain, Isaac the Pirate (ComicsLit, 2003) III. Course Work: Grading Policy 3 short papers (45%) 1 final project (30%) blog participation (10%)

2 presentation (10%) participation (5%) Course Requirements Course Blog: Each week, two or three students will be assigned to moderate discussion of the work assigned on the course blog. Moderators can ask questions, discuss their aesthetic or ideological responses to each work, or post important historical or factual background information that may enrich their classmates reading experience. Participation in the course blog counts for 10% of the final grade. Short Papers: Students will write three short (3-4 pg.) papers, each worth 15% of the final grade. The first paper is a formal exercise that focuses specifically on learning and implementing the terminology for analyzing comics. Students can focus on one page or a two-page spread from any of the works assigned in the class. The second paper will focus on the representation self and others in any of the autobiographical or autofictional works (including reportage) assigned in the class. The third will ask students to focus on the representation of culture, history, and politics in any of the works assigned, whether fictional or non-fictional. Students are highly encouraged to post their papers, with illustrations, on the course blog. Final Project: The final project may be creative or critical and may be done jointly or individually. Students must submit proposals for final projects by Monday, April 4, and must indicate at that point whether they intend to work individually or jointly. The final project is worth 30% of the final grade. Final Presentation: Students will present their final projects to the class during the last two weeks of the semester in abbreviated five-minute presentations with visuals. The presentation is worth 10% of the final grade. Important Deadlines: Feb 7 March 7 April 4 April 18 April 25 May 6 May 6 Paper 1 due Paper 2 due Proposals for final project due Paper 3 due Presentations will be scheduled Final project due IV. Class and University Policies Attendance Policy: Daily attendance is an integral part of your participation grade (5%). Also please take note of UT s official policy regarding the observation of religious holy days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. Use of Blackboard In this class, I use Blackboard, a Web-based course management system with passwordprotected access at to distribute some course materials. You can

3 find support in using Blackboard at the ITS Help Desk at , Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., so plan accordingly. Academic Integrity University of Texas Honor Code The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code. Policy on Scholastic Dishonesty Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For further information, visit the Student Judicial Services web site This site offers excellent resources on how to cite sources and paraphrase. Copying materials from other people or from sources on the Internet, for example, or having your work edited by somebody else, constitutes a fraudulent submission. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student s own work and will acknowledge others work as appropriate (e.g., citing sources). Any plagiarized work will result in a failing course grade. V. Other University Notices and Policies Use of for Official Correspondence to Students It is the student s responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her address. Students are expected to check on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your address are available at Documented Disability Statement The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. If you require special accommodations, you must obtain a letter that documents your disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement ( voice or TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). Present the letter to me at the beginning of the semester so we can discuss the accommodations you need. No later than five business days before an exam, you should remind me of any testing accommodations you will need. For more information, visit Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual s behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call or visit VI. Course Calendar: Week 1: Introduction

4 WED (1/19) FRI (1/21) Introduction Read: Ann Miller, Reading Bande Dessinée, Ch. 1&2 [Bb] Week 2: History of French/Francophone Comics MON (1/24) Read: Ann Miller, Reading Bande Dessinée, Ch. 3&4 [Bb] WED (1/26) Read: Mark McKinney, History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels, Intro. [Bb] FRI (1/28) Read: Joel E. Vessels, Drawing France, Ch. 2 [Bb] Week 3: Semiotics of Comics, or, How to write about comics MON (1/31) Read: McKinney French-Language Comics Terminology and Referencing [Bb] Read: Ann Miller, Reading Bande Dessinée, Ch. 5 [Bb] WED (2/2) Read: Thierry Groensteen, The System of Comics, Intro. & Ch. 1 [Bb] FRI (2/4) Read: Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics, Ch. 2 [Bb] Week 4 Autobiography I MON (2/7) Paper 1 due 2/7 WED (2/9) FRI (2/11) Week 5: Autobiography II MON (2/14) WED (2/16) FRI (2/18) Week 6: Autobiography III / Autofiction I MON (2/21) Read: Julie Doucet, My New York Diary WED (2/23) Read: Julie Doucet, My New York Diary FRI (2/25) Read: Manu Larcenet, Ordinary Victories Week 7: Autofiction II MON (2/28) Read: Manu Larcenet, Ordinary Victories WED (3/2) Read: Marguerite Abouet, Aya FRI (3/4) Read: Marguerite Abouet, Aya Week 8: Reportage I MON (3/7) WED (3/9) FRI (3/11) Paper 2 due 3/7 Week 9 SPRING BREAK Week 10: Reportage II MON (3/21) WED (3/23) FRI (3/25)

5 Week 11: Reportage III MON (3/28) WED (3/30) FRI (4/1) Week 12: France s Colonial Legacy in Historical Fiction I MON (4/4) Proposals for Final Project Due 4/4 WED (4/6) FRI (4/8) Week 13: France s Colonial Legacy in Historical Fiction II MON (4/11) Read: Appollo & Lewis Trondheim, Bourbon Island 1730 WED (4/13) Read: Appollo & Lewis Trondheim, Bourbon Island 1730 FRI (4/15) Read: Appollo & Lewis Trondheim, Bourbon Island 1730 Week 14: France s Colonial Legacy in Historical Fiction III MON (4/18) Paper 3 due 4/18 WED (4/20) FRI (4/22) Week 15: Review & presentations MON (4/25) WED (4/27) FRI (4/29) Week 16: Review & presentations MON (5/2) WED (5/4) FRI (5/6) Final project due 5/6